THE Conservative Party has chosen 35-year-old NHS nurse Claire Gill as their candidate for the next General Election in Blackburn.

The Shropshire-born wife of a North Yorkshire farmer will take on sitting Labour MP Kate Hollern who increased her majority to 20,268 at the last nationwide Parliamentary poll in 2017. Mrs Gill began her career in the army before becoming a nurse

As well as working in several different clinical areas of the NHS, she also went abroad during the Ebola crisis as part of the UK’s emergency response.

Mrs Gill said: “I am overjoyed at being selected as Conservative candidate for Blackburn.

“As MP I would want to ensure that people from all backgrounds achieve the best possible health care, as well as ensuring that care is delivered in an efficient way nationally.

“Another political priority of mine would be to engage more young people with the Conservative party. Young people are the future of the country and I believe we need to do more to appeal to them.

“I’m passionate about small family-run businesses and want to see them thrive. I believe that Brexit will be positive for them with the right support from a Conservative-led government.”